Wednesday, March 15, 2017

No Evil Monkey Crochet Bracelet

Crochet your own No Evil Monkey Bracelet

LovingLea Created by Mindy Lea




This is a free pattern.
Please do not use any of my photos for your advertising and sale of items made from this pattern. All photos are the property of Mindy Lea with LovingLea Created. Please link back to this blog when selling or showing your work made by using this pattern.

I would love to see your creations!
You can tag LovingLea Created on these social media sites...
 LovingLea Created on FB, lovingleacreate on Instagram and lovingleacreate on Twitter.
If you would like to purchase the No Evil Monkeys Bracelet made by Me
go here à LovingLea Created

Scroll on down for the FREE, totally adorable, No Evil Monkeys Button Bracelet
that is approximately 8 inches long and 2 inches wide which will fit wrists 6.5 - 8.5 inches.


You will need:

Caron Simply soft or sport weight yarn in off white, tan and black.
D or 3.25 mm hook

5/8 inch or 16mm button
scissors
embroidery needle






Need to know:

How to do a Magic Circle or Ring (check YouTube videos to learn how)
Or you could ch3, ss to 1st ch and then sc 4 in the circle.
I like the magic ring because you can pull the hole tightly closed.

In English Terms:


ss            = slip stitch
st            = stitch
sts          = stitches
sc            = single crochet
dc           = double crochet
tc            = triple crochet
skst         = skip next stitch


Work In Rows

R1 *off white*
4sc in magic ring. ss to 1st sc (4sts)

R2
Ch1, in next st 2sc and 2sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc (8sts)

R3
Ch1, 1sc in next 2 sts, 3sc in the next 2 sts, 1sc in next 2 sts, 3sc in the next 2 sts, ss to 1st sc (16sts)

R4
Ch1, skst, (in the next st 1dc, 2tc, 1dc), skst, 1sc, skst, (in the next st do 1dc, 2tc, 1dc), skst, 1sc *on yarn over pull through tan yarn*, 1sc, 2sc in the next 6 sts *you will count ss from prev round as a stitch* skst, (in the next st do 2dc, 2tc, 2dc), 2sc in the next 3sts, 1tc between the brows, 2sc in the next 3sts, skst, (in the next st do 2dc, 2tc, 2dc), ss to next st,
finish off leave approximately a 8 inch yarn tail to sew the monkey faces together

yarn over pull through tan yarn, continue next sc with tan


Finish off and leave 8 inch yarn tail for sewing

Make 2 more faces


Sew the monkey faces together in the middle two stitches on the ears (the tc stitches) with the 8 inch tails

Sew Monkey Faces together in 2tc stitches on the ears

With the last 8 inch tail sew a 5/8 inch or 16 mm button onto the ear

Sew button on last ear

With black yarn embroider on the monkey faces



Now you are finished!
Enjoy your No Evil Monkeys :-D
 


I would like to give credit to the applique pattern by Repeat Crafter Me called M is for Monkey that I was able to adapt to make a smaller size monkey face. Without her pattern I would not have had a guide to help me get a monkey face for this bracelet design.

Thank You for visiting my blog!
~ ✌💖😊 ~ Mindy





Tuesday, February 28, 2017

2 piece Easter Egg FREE Crochet Pattern Loving Lea Created by Mindy Lea




2 Piece Easter Egg FREE Crochet Pattern

LovingLea Created by Mindy Lea
















This is a free pattern.
Please do not use any of my photos for your advertising and sale of items made from this pattern. All photos are the property of Mindy Lea with LovingLea Created. Please link back to this blog when selling or showing your work made by using this pattern. I would love to see your creations!

You can tag LovingLea Created on these social media sites...
 LovingLea Created on FB, lovingleacreate on Instagram and lovingleacreate on Twitter.
If you would like to purchase a set of 6 Handmade 2 Piece Easter Eggs made by Me
go here à LovingLea Created
If you would like a printable pdf pattern go here --> PATTERN 
It will be available in my Etsy shop for $2.00.

Scroll on down for the FREE cute, functional, totally adorable 2 Piece Easter Egg Pattern.
Thanks for visiting my blog - Mindy -



You will need:

Scrap yarn medium 4 or all same type/brand to get the same size for each egg.
G or 4.00mm hook or a hook that is 1 size smaller than recommended for the type of yarn you use.

Eggs will come out close to the size of a goose egg using medium 4 weight yarn and a G or 4.00mm hook They will be large enough to fill with Easter candy and little goodies.

*Make sure you crochet both halves with the same tension or they may not come out the same size.*



RELAX and have some CROCHET FUN!



Need to know:

How to do a Magic Circle or Ring


In English Terms:

ch           = chain
ss            = slip stitch
st            = stitch
sts          = stitches
sc            = single crochet
hdc         = half double crochet
bpsc       = back post single crochet
sctog     = two single crochet decreased to one





Top of Egg

*work in rows*

R1

In magic circle 6sc, pull circle closed,

ss to 1st sc        




R2

ch 1, 2 sc in next st (on all rows - not in ss), then 2sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc  (12 sts)


(I crochet over the yarn end here for around 6 stitches to hide it, instead of using a needle later to weave it in, and cut off the excess)


R3
ch 1, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st repeat from * around, ss to 1st sc  (18 sts)

R4-5
ch 1, 1 sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc  (18 sts)

R6
ch 1, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 2 sts repeat from * around, ss to 1st sc  (24 sts)

R7-8
ch 1, 1 sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc  (24 sts)

R9
ch 1, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 7 sts repeat from * 3 times, ss to 1st sc  (27 sts)

R10
ch1, sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc   (27 sts)

Cut yarn about 4 inches long and pull through last st, Do Not Weave in the end, set top aside


Bottom of Egg


*work in rows*





R1


In magic circle sc 8, pull circle closed, ss to 1st


R2
ch 1, 2 sc in all sts (on all rows start in sc after ss), ss to 1st  (16 sts)
(I crochet over the yarn end here for around 6 stitches to hide it, instead of using a needle later to weave it in, and cut off the excess)

R3
ch 1, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in the next repeat from * around, ss to 1st sc    (24 sts)

R4-5
ch 1, sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc   (24 sts)

R6
ch 1, *2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next 7 sts repeat from * 3 times, ss to 1st sc  (27 sts)

R7
ch 1, sc in each st around, ss to 1st sc    (27 sts)

R8
ch 1, hdc in each st around, ss to 1st hdc  (27 sts)

R9
ch 1, bpsc in each hdc st around, ss to 1st sc   (27 sts)





R10
ch 1, *1 sc in next 7 sts, 1 sctog repeat from * around 3 times   (24 sts)

R11
ch 1, *1 sc in next 10 sts,  1 sctog repeat from * around 2 times  (22 sts)

Cut yarn about 4 inches long and pull through last stitch, Do Not Weave in the End.

Put hook from outside to inside of the egg in a stitch directly below the loose string in R10, yarn over the loose string and pull it from the inside to outside of the egg








Tie both egg pieces together with the 4 inch strings at the base of the egg halves





Pull the leftover string through a stitch on the inside ridge of the bottom half of the egg.
Trim down leftover string to an inch.





Next chain 50, leave a 3 inch yarn tail on both ends.

Fold egg in half and center where the egg halves are tied together in the middle of the egg. On the bottom egg, pull the chain 50 string through two stitches from INSIDE TO OUTSIDE on the ridge across from where you tied the two halves together.  Now, take the chain 50 string ends from INSIDE TO OUTSIDE of the top half of the egg in the last row of stitches that line up with where the chain 50 went through the bottom egg stitches.




Tie the 3 inch yarn tails together at the bottom of the chain and pull the egg closed then, tie the chain 50 string in a bow. Now it will hold little treats for the kiddos on Easter and the halves will not get separated! ;-)




I hope you have enjoyed this free pattern. Please give credit back to this blog when showing off your work. Feel free to tag lovingleacreate on IG and Twitter and Facebook with photos of your eggs made using this pattern. Links to the social media pages are at the top. If you are feeling snazzy, I would love to see some stripy eggs. ;-)


Thanks Again!!!

-Mindy-











Wednesday, May 18, 2016

The Making of Crocheted Bunny

My first Blog 5-18-16

by Mindy Lea

The Thursday night (5-12-16) before my niece's one-year-old's birthday party on Saturday at 1:45 in the afternoon, I was thinking about crocheting her a doll. I had a vision forming in my head of how I would make her, the clothes, the hair, down to her shoes. My son suggested a bunny, he has a love of anime cartoons and was describing his vision in great detail. Well, I didn't understand any of it so I told him to draw it for me. It looked doable. I had made a monkey from a free pattern on a blog and it gave me an idea on how I could tackle the bunny. I was game to give it a try, I already had matching mommy and daughter Retro Pin Up headbands crocheted for them to wear. If I failed miserably, I had a backup present finished.

I told him to use colors of yarn that I already have, he wanted a white bunny, I didn't have white so we opted for chocolate (shades of white, brown and tan). We decided on a yellow shirt with black trim, a pink poof ball tail and pink inside the ears. I had enough information to get started. The time is around eight in the evening on Friday night.

Below is a picture presentation of the progress.



I started with the bunny bottom. Please excuse any wording errors in the picture, I was writing on the fly while crocheting. I may be able to make another one. ;-)


The body is almost complete after trying to guess how big it should be, time for bed.
The time is after Midnight.


Saturday, around ten in the morning, I begin to make the head.


Around noon, stuffed the body and head. Asked my son how it was looking and he had a look on his face that said, I don't know about that mom. The reason, my plan for the scarf and neck was off and I didn't know how to fix it so I kept pressing onward. The nose and mouth were good to go in my eyes.


Around Midnight, the bunny was all together. I decided to crochet the eyes and sew them down since the recipient is a one-year-old. Now, all I needed to figure out was the scarf and bow to go on bunny's ear. As soon as the ears went on my son was saying, "you got it, I didn't think you would be able to do it". I wasn't positive I would be able to pull this off but I got pretty spot on even with the snaffoo on the neck.


Around fifteen hours start to finish. Coming up with an idea and then having a deadline to get it finished really gets the blood flowing. The time to complete this project had me doubting my abilities. Sometimes everything seems to go smooth and everything falls together. Not often does this happen in my life. When it does, I'm over the moon.

What do you think? Pretty spot on?


I started crocheting in November of 2015 after maxing out my loom knitting skills. Not bad for starting to crochet six months ago. My mother tried to teach me to crochet when I was younger, around 10-12, I was way too hyper to sit still. The great outdoors would beg me to go out and play at that age. I still love the outdoors but have lost the hyperactivity. Now, being able to bring something into reality with crochet is a rewarding experience.
I also love photography, mostly nature photography. I have been taking photos since 1989 when I took photography in high school. That was back in the day when we developed the film before digital was a reality. Photographing my crochet creations has been a fun reward at the end of a project and since I don't keep all of them I have a picture to work from if I do another. I use my windows phone most of the time to take all my photos. Why? Because it's always readily available and I get great photos with that dinosaur. I plaster them all over Facebook on my personal and business page LovingLea Created. Check out the bunny photo shoot below and go like my page for pictures of other projects I have created.

LovingLea Created is also on:

Etsy
Pinterest
Instagram
Twitter
and again
Facebook

Bunny Photo Shoot







Bunny is very photogenic!

I hope you have enjoyed my first blog.
Peace, Love and Happiness to you until my next attempt.
- Mindy Lea -